Hand gun for signaling or warning purposes

ABSTRACT

The drum of a blank-firing revolver, such as a starter gun, has axial bores divided into longer rear portions, serving as cartridge chambers, and shorter front portions, acting as venting channels, by a ring centered on the drum axis which projects partly into these bores from within. Another ring, coaxial with the first one but forwardly spaced therefrom, projects partly into the bores from without; the two rings are of substantially greater hardness than the drum material so as to deflect any drill bit into the bore wall if an attempt is made to widen any bore into a seat for a projectile to be fired by the detonation fumes. A muzzle in a discharge aperture of the gun body, with which the venting channels are successively alignable, is held in position by a spike passing generally radially through the muzzle bore so as to restrict the effective cross-sectional area thereof, thereby preventing the muzzle from giving guidance to any projectile lodged therein.

Dec.4,1973

[ HAND GUN FOR SIGNALING OR WARNING PURPOSES Giinter Horst Riihm, Muhlstrasse 9, 7927 Sontheim/Brenz, Germany {22] Filed: Oct. 16, I972 [2|] Appl. No.: 298,017

[76] Inventor:

| 30] Foreign Application Priority Data (Jet. 26, l97l Germany (i 7! 40 399.l

[52] US. Cl. 42/58, 42/] R, 42/54 [51] Int. Cl. F411: 3/04, F4lc 3/02, F4ic 3/06 [58] Field of Search 42/58, 54, 59, l R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,624,946 l2/l97l Cagnoni 42/58 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant ExaminerC. T. Jordan Attorney-Karl F. Ross [57] ABSTRACT The drum of a blank-firing revolver, such as a starter gun, has axial bores divided into longer rear portions, serving as cartridge chambers, and shorter front portions, acting as venting channels, by a ring centered on the drum axis which projects partly into these bores from within. Another ring, coaxial with the first one but forwardly spaced therefrom, projects partly into the bores from without; the two rings are of substantially greater hardness than the drum material so as to deflect any drill bit into the bore wall if an attempt is made to widen any bore into a seat for a projectile to be fired by the detonation fumes. A muzzle in a discharge aperture of the gun body, with which the venting channels are successively alignable, is held in position by a spike passing generally radially through the muzzle bore so as to restrict the effective crosssectional area thereof, thereby preventing the muzzle from giving guidance to any projectile lodged therein,

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures HAND GUN FOR SIGNALING OR WARNING PURPOSES FIELD OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In designing and constructing drum-type pistols or revolvers firing blanks for signaling and warning purposes, which in outer appearance closely resemble an ordinary hand gun, means should be provided to prevent them from being used with live ammunition. For this purpose it has already been proposed to provide the drum with rearwardly open bores or chambers which are too short to receive live bullets but can only accommodate blank cartridges capable of detonating, often, with loud noise. The evolving combustion gases are discharged through the gun barrel by way of reduced venting channels in the drum ahead of the cartridge chambers.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The general object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the conversion of such a firearm into a lethal weapon.

A more particular object is to provide a drum construction designed to prevent any widening of the venting channels for the seating of live ammunition.

Another specific object of my present invention is to provide means in such a hand gun for effectively we venting the lodging of projectiles in the barrel ahead of the drum while allowing thorough cleaning of the gasescape path from both sides.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I realize these objects in accordance with my present invention by providing the revolver cylinder or drum with obstructions in the shape of at least one ring of hard metal which forms a sill partly blocking the venting channels by projecting radially into same. In a preferred embodiment, two axially spaced rings are used which enter the channels from within and from without, respectively. Advantageously, in such a case, the inner diameter of the larger ring exceeds the outer diameter of the smaller ring so as to leave a narrow slit between them through which a cleaning wad can be axially introduced; in principle, however, they could also overlap. The ring with the smaller diameter is preferably located at the junctions between the cartridge chambers and the venting channels to act as an outward deflector for a boring tool introduced through the rear of the drum; thus, the sill or sills so formed cannot be removed by machining.

According to another feature of the invention, a spike preferably of hard metal extends generally radially across the discharge aperture of the pistol body or frame ahead of the drum; this spike can also conveniently serve to help secure a separately manufactured muzzle in that aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other features of my invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. I is a longitudinal cross-section of a signaling revolver according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IIII of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view tken on the line "L -III of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The revolver illustrated in the drawing is intended to be used as a firearm for giving start or other signals and/or for the firing of warning shots. Lodged in the body 4 is a conventional cylinder or drum I which, upon any actuation of a trigger 19 to detonate a charge, is rotated through as is well known per se. Drum 1 has six equispaced, throughgoing axial bores whose longer rear portions form cartridge chambers 2 which are rearwardly open for loading and ejection of spent cartridges when the drum, whose axle 21 is traversed by a retractable latch bolt 22, is swung out on a pivoted mounting 23; the shorter front portion of each bore constitutes a venting channel 3 which is somewhat disaligned from chamber 2 and in its firing position lines up with a discharge aperture 5 of roughly the same length as the chambers 2 and parallel to the drum axis 0. A muzzle 6, whose bore 6' is stepped so as to form seats 7 for the insertion of signal flares to be expelled by the powder fumes of the exploding cartridges, is fitted into the aperture 5 and held in position by a generally radial spike II which is slightly offset from the muzzle axis 10 and substantially reduces the effective cross-sectional area thereof. The spike II consists of tempered steel or a hard alloy and, in the illustrated embodiment, obstructs almost half of the crosssectional area of the bore 6' at its smallest diameter. The blank cartridge in a chamber 2 confronting the aperture 5 can be detonated by a hammer 20 upon pressing the trigger 19.

Two rings 14 and 15 of tempered steel or hard alloy are placed coaxially in the drum 1 and are spaced apart in axial direction. The smaller ring 14 projects radially outwardly into the channels 3 whereas the larger ring I5 projects radially inwardly into same. The two rings 14 and 15 terminate a little short of the centerlines of channels 3 so that, as seen in FIG. 2, their projections upon a plane transverse to axes l0 and 0 are separated by a narrow slit 16 across which the spike 11 cuts almost perpendicularly; the width of slit 16 is a fraction of the channel radius. The small-diameter ring I4 is located at the junctions between the cartridge chambers 2 and the venting channels 3 to form a sill; if anyone attempted to widen a channel 3 by boring from the side of the corresponding chamber 2, this sill would deflect the drill bit radially outwardly to make it cut through the outer shell I7 of the drum 1. This occurs all the more readily since the shell 17 is weakened by fingergrip depressions 18 located in the regions of the channels 3 and since the material of the drum is considerably softer than that of the rings 14 and 15. The drum I may, for instance, be a zinc compression casting; the rings 14 and 15 are formed advantageously by injection molding and held in position by a plug I welded or soldered to the drum body. Ring deflects inwardly any drill bit that might be introduced from the front into one of the channels 3.

Despite the partial obstruction of the gas-escape path formed by channels 3 and bore 6, the firearm can be conveniently cleaned since the cross-sectional area left free by the spike 11 is sufficient to allow a wad to be introduced into the muzzle 6 whereas the bores 2, 3 of the drum are readily accessible from the rear.

Drum l and plug 1' could also be manufactured in one piece, with the rings l4, l5 molded in situ in respective grooves thereof.

I claim:

1. A blank-firing revolver comprising a body provided with a discharge aperture, a drum rearwardly of said aperture rotatable about an axis parallel thereto, said drum being provided with a plurality of axially extending throughgoing bores forming chambers for blank cartridges, said bores being alternately alignable with said aperture, detonating means for said cartridges rearwardly of said drum, and obstruction means in said bores restricting their cross-sections forwardly of said chambers, said obstruction means being of greater hardness than the material of said drum for preventing removal thereof by machining.

2. A revolver as defined in claim 1 wherein said obstruction means comprises a sill extending partly into each of said bores from a peripheral wall thereof.

3. A revolver as defined in claim 2 wherein said sill is formed by a ring centered on the axis of said drum.

4. A revolver as defined in claim 3 wherein said ring is spaced rearwardly from a front end of said drum at a junction of said chambers with respective venting channels formed by forward portions of said bores.

5. A revolver as defined in claim 4 wherein said ring projects radially outwardly into said bores, said drum bring provided with outer peripheral recesses adjoining said venting channels in the region of said bores whereby the outer bore wall is weakened forwardly of said ring for penetration by a boring tool deflected outwardly by said ring upon introduction into any of said bores from the rear of the drum.

6. A revolver as defined in claim 4 wherein said ohstruction means further comprises a second ring axially spaced from the first ring and projecting into said venting channels, one of said rings extending radially in wardly into said bores, the other of said rings extending radially outwardly into said bores.

7. A revolver as defined in claim 6 wherein said one of said rings has an inner diameter exceeding the outer diameter of said other of said rings by a fraction of the bore radius whereby a narrow slit is formed between the projections of said rings upon a plane transverse to said axis.

8. A revolver as defined in claim 7, further comprising a generally radial spike in said aperture cutting across said slit.

9. A revolver as defined in claim 8, further comprising a muzzle seated in said aperture and fastening means including said spike holding said muzzle in posi tion.

10. A revolver as defined in claim 4 wherein said venting channels are disaligned from said chambers. 

1. A blank-firing revolver comprising a body provided with a discharge aperture, a drum rearwardly of said aperture rotatable about an axis parallel thereto, said drum being provided with a plurality of axially extending throughgoing bores forming chambers for blank cartridges, said bores being alternately alignable with said aperture, detonating means for said cartridges rearwardly of said drum, and obstruction means in said bores restricting their cross-sections forwardly of said chambers, said obstruction means being of greater hardness than the material of said drum for preventing removal thereof by machining.
 2. A revolver as defined in claim 1 wherein said obstruction means comprises a sill extending partly into each of said bores from a peripheral wall thereof.
 3. A revolver as defined in claim 2 wherein said sill is formed by a ring centered on the axis of said drum.
 4. A revolver as defined in claim 3 wherein said ring is spaced rearwardly from a front end of said drum at a junction of said chambers with respective venting channels formed by forward portions of said bores.
 5. A revolver as defined in claim 4 wherein said ring projects radially outwardly into said bores, said drum bring provided with outer peripheral recesses adjoining said venting channels in the region of said bores whereby the outer bore wall is weakened forwardly of said ring for penetration by a boring tool deflected outwardly by said ring upon introduction into any of said bores from the rear of the drum.
 6. A revolver as defined in claim 4 wherein said obstruction means further comprises a second ring axially spaced from the first ring and projecting into said venting channels, one of said rings extending radially inwardly into said bores, the other of said rings extending radially outwardly into said bores.
 7. A revolver as defined in claim 6 wherein said one of said rings has an inner diameter exceeding the outer diameter of said other of said rings by a fraction of the bore radius whereby a narrow slit is formed between the projections of said rings upon a plane transverse to said axis.
 8. A revolver as defined in claim 7, further comprising a generally radial spike in said aperture cutting across said slit.
 9. A revolver as defined in claim 8, further comprising a muzzle seated in said aperture and fastening means including said spike holding said muzzle in position.
 10. A revolver as defined in claim 4 wherein said venting channels are disaligned from said chambers. 